William h



(NoModelL j WfH. STOOP S. SEALED LOCK FOR HANS.v

Pa tented Apr. 2, 1889.

I @WX PETERS. PhawLilha m Mr. Washington.

UNITED STATES WILLIAM H. STOOPS, on

BOONTON, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR TO JOSHUA S SALMON, OF SAME PLAOEI SEALEDLOCK FOR CANS.

SPEC IFICATTON forming part of Letters Patent 1T0. 400,505, dated. April2, IS'QQ Application'filed September 10; 1888. Serial N0: 285,037. (Nomodel.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that 1, WILLIAM H. STOOPS, a citizen of the United States,residingat Boonton, in the county of Morris and State of New Jersey,have invented a new and useful Sealed Lock for a Milk or other SimilarCan, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to that class of locks for milk cans which arecontained wholly within the can itself. I p I Hitherto the devices forthe purpose of look-- ing milk-cans have consisted of large springsrequiring a number of subsidiary parts for the effective operation ofthe same.

The objects of my invention are, first, to provide a locking devicewithout any springs and with the least number of subsidiary parts, thusenhancing its ohcapness to the public; second, to provide a lockingdevice that will offer no obstacle to the proper and easy cleansing ofitself, the can, or of the cover; third, to provide a locking device soarranged that in the event of breakage of any of its parts the coverwill be automatically unlocked, thus avoiding the necessity of damagingthe can or its cover; fourth, to provide a simple mechanism that willprevent access to the contents of the can without detection, and alsoadulteration of the same while in transit. I attain these objects 'bymeans of the devices illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in whichthe same letters refer to like parts.

Figure 1 shows the mechanism in position in the cover of the can,showing the position of the device when locked. Fig. 2 is a detail ofthe tongue 0, with its safety-hook D attached. Figs. 3 and 4 aremodifications, and Fig. 5 is the grappling-hook.

I is the can.

J is the cover, in the center of the top of which a circular opening ismade.

0 is a tongue provided with a slight offset downward, and has pivoted toit a safetyhook, D. The tongue 0 is attached to the under side of thecover J, so as to project nearly, but not quite, across the opening madein the cover.

S S are two cars, which are attached to the inner side of the cylinderof the cover. They serve as points ofsupport to the lever-arms follows:Assume the chain B to be down.

A A are two lever-arms, so constructed that in their normal position theupper and lower ends of each lever is in the same vertical line, thusunlocking the cover and can.

B is a chain of such length that when down it permits 'Dl16l6V61=2t1II1SA A to assume their normal positionviz., unlocked and when drawn up overthe tongue 0 throws the lever-arms under the shoulder of the can andholds them rigidly, as shown at A, Fig. 1 viz., locked. The safetyhook Dprevents the chain from slipping off the tongue 0.

H is a small hub, perforated laterally, resting on the upper surface ofthe cover. It passes downward through the tongue and serves the purposeof aiding to secure the tongue 0 in position, of holding the cap G,which serves to close the opening in the cover, and of providing for thesealing of the cap G by means of a thong, N, of leather or othersuitable material. The cap G is pivoted to the upper surface of thecover, and when sealed prevents the inside mechanism from being operatedor unlocked withdut detection. The rivet g, on which the cover G isloosely pivoted, has a slanting or beveled head, which allows the coverto be raised to pass over the hub .H.

The thong N may be provided with a suitable brand or device to preventsubstitution without detection.

The operation of my improved lock is as The lever-arms A A will be inposition unlocked, as shown at A ,Fig. 1. Place the cover of the can onin the usual manner. Then by means of a small hook, P, draw up the chainB till it rests across the tongue 0 and throw down the safety-hook D.The cover will be clamped down to the can, Fig. 1. Close the cap G,which is provided with an opening to admit of the hub H passing upwardthrough it, as shown in Fig. 2. Pass the thong N through the hub H andknot hard close to the hub and cut off the end close to the knot. Shouldany one succeed in untying the knot, it would be found impossible, owingto its shortness, to retie it. To unlock, out the thong N, 'open the capG, and throw off the chain B. The lever-arms A A will drop by gravityand the cover be unlocked. In like manner should the chain B be brokenthe cover would be unlocked automatically. Thus the objects beforeenumerated are attained.

It will be obvious that the opening in the cover may be made so small asto be a mere slit, admitting of a link of the chain B, or a single linkattached to said chain, being passed up through it, so as to projectslightly above the surface of the cover, as shown in Fig. 3. A fineauxiliary wire could be passed through the link and then through theslit in the cover, and the cover then placed on the can. The chain Bcould be drawn up by means of the threading-wire till the link was abovethe surface and then held till the thong was passed through the link andknotted, as before described. The thong and the cover itself would bethe resistance. The threading-wire could then be withdrawn. Thus the capG, hub H, and the tongue C,with its safety-hook I), might be dispensedwith, if con venient, and the objects before enumerated be effectivelyattained.

Instead of the chain and the tongue, the upper ends of the lever-arms AA may be elongated so as to extend upward into the opening in the cover,their ends being brought close together when the lower ends are thrownoutward and the upper ends secured by a link or ring attached to one ofthe ends passed over the other, as shown in Fig. 4. The opening thenwould be closed by means of the cap G and thong N, as before described.

Having fully described my invention, what I desire to claim and secureby Letters Patent is- 1. The combination, with a can, of two or morelevers pivoted to the inside of the cover, their lower ends beingadapted to project under the shoulder of the can, and means for drawingtoward each other the upper ends of the levers and retaining them inthat posi tion, substantially as described.

2. The combination, with a can, of the levers A, pivoted to the insideof the cover and adapted to engage with the shoulder of the can, achain, B, loosely uniting the ends of the levers, and means for puttingand retaining a tension on the chain, substantially as described.

3. The combination, with a can, of two or more levers, A, pivoted to theinside of the cover and adapted to engage with the shoulder of the can,a chain, B, loosely uniting the levers, a tongue, C, fastened to theinside of the cover and adapted to receive the chain B, and asafety-catch for retaining the chain upon the tongue, substantially asdescribed.

4. The combination, with a can, of a cover having an opening therein,two or more levers pivoted to the inside of the cover and adapted toengage with the shoulders of the can, a chain, B, loosely uniting thelevers, a tongue, 0, fastened to the inside of the cover adjacent to theopening and adapted to receive the chain B, a lid, G, for closing theopening in the cover, and means for sealing it when closed,substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

5. The combination, with a can, of the levers A, pivoted to the insideof the cover and adapted to engage with the shoulder of the can, achain, B, loosely uniting the ends of the levers, means for putting andretaining a tension 011 the chain, and means for securing the chain frombeing tampered with without detection, substantially as described.

\VILLIAM H. STOOPS.

Vitn csses:

J. S. SALMON,

mo. 0. KYTE.

